Fake police and jury-duty calls: FBI counts over $1.6 billion lost since January 2025

What's happened

From January 2025 through July 2026, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received nearly 61,000 complaints about scammers posing as law enforcement or government officials, with reported losses of more than $1.6 billion. It set out the figures in a public warning on September 17, 2026.

The FBI says the most common version accuses you of a crime and threatens arrest unless you pay to "clear" the charges or help catch the "real" criminals. Other versions it lists:

• Missed jury duty or court dates: 6,833 complaints and nearly $36 million lost.
• Medical professionals told their license was used in a crime: 3,322 complaints and more than $37 million lost.
• Foreign nationals, international students and people from other ethnic communities threatened with extradition or passport cancellation by fake foreign officials: 1,809 complaints and more than $140 million lost.
• "Expiring" passports or licenses that need a fee: 496 complaints and more than $348,000 lost.

The Federal Trade Commission warned on October 22 about a new twist: a caller claiming to be from the FTC says a phone in your name is being used for scams abroad and threatens to deactivate your number. You're passed to a fake police officer, asked for ID, told to keep it secret, and later told you'll be arrested unless you pay a "security deposit."

How the calls work

The FBI says scammers spoof real phone numbers, email addresses, staff names and badge details, including the IC3's own. They sound urgent and aggressive, keep you on the line, and tell you not to talk to family, your bank or the police. Some now appear on video calls as officials, using AI. They ask you to pay with prepaid cards, couriers, bank wires, cryptocurrency, or cash fed into crypto kiosks.

A worked example

A caller says he's a deputy at your county court. You missed jury duty, there's a warrant, and you can avoid arrest by paying a $2,500 bond today. He keeps you on the phone while you drive to a store with a crypto kiosk, and texts you a code to scan. Once the cash is in the machine, it's in his wallet. The FBI says no government or law enforcement agency calls or texts to demand payment.

Red flags

• Anyone from the government calling or texting to demand money or personal details. The FBI says agencies won't.
• Payment by prepaid card, cryptocurrency or courier. The FBI says officials never ask for these.
• Being told to keep it secret, stay on the line, or not call your bank.
• A photo of an ID badge sent by text. The FTC says its staff won't do that.
• Web addresses ending in .com instead of .gov.

What to do now

1. Hang up. You lose nothing by ending the call, and you can check the claim yourself.
2. Call the agency yourself. Use a number from its official .gov website or your paperwork, not one the caller gives you or one from a search ad.
3. For jury duty, call the clerk of the court using the number on the court's own website.
4. Talk to someone you trust before you pay anyone. Scammers rely on you keeping quiet.
5. Tell older relatives. Share this before the holidays, when many families get together.

If you've already paid

• Call your bank or card company now. Ask it to stop or reverse the payment.
• Paid in crypto? The FTC says to contact the exchange or ATM operator straight away, report a fraudulent transaction and ask for a refund.
• Paid with a gift card? Call the number on the back of the card and keep the card and receipt.
• Report it to your local police and at ic3.gov. The FBI asks for the scammer's phone numbers and emails, payment details such as bank accounts or crypto addresses, and any texts or emails. Report FTC impersonators at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Questions

Would a court or the police call me to pay a fine for missing jury duty? No. The FBI says government and law enforcement agencies won't call or text to demand payment.

The caller ID showed a real police number. Is it real? Not necessarily. The FBI says scammers spoof real agency numbers. Hang up and call back on a number you look up.

Will the FTC ever cut off my phone? No. The FTC says its staff won't threaten to disconnect your phone or ask you to send money.

Ways to save

Free tools can help you check before you act. Malwarebytes lists a free scam number check and scam link check on its site, and F-Secure has a free Link Checker and Deepfake Detector. For more on fakes posing as your bank, see our story on bank impersonation scams.

When you shop through Promo Magpie, part of the commission the shop pays us goes to the charity or club you pick. You pay the same price.

Sources: FBI IC3 public service announcement, September 17, 2026, FTC consumer alert, October 22, 2026, FTC: what to do if you were scammed (June 2026), FBI IC3 2025 Internet Crime Report, Malwarebytes, checked November 8, 2026, F-Secure, checked November 8, 2026